Here is a Tiki Hut light fixture rescued from the auction. Pulled it out to photograph it and have decided to restore it, it needs a little love. The design is great but the construction was definitely a bit rough and ready. I particularly like the electrical with the 12/3 cord, you could run ten lights off of that! No electrical fires due to overloading in that place.

I am going to replace the missing roof scroll detail and it looks like there was some kind of roof dressing (maybe thatch?), does anyone have any thoughts on that?

O.A. made that light. It had woven palm front matting on the roof, they might still have that. I wasted mine by having it hang outside Your Tapa still looks great - testament that the old Polynesians knew what they were doing!

Tigertail thanks for posting photos of your lights.
On the floats I can tie new rope for you if you need it done.
They look like this when I tie them.
I tell people that most of the float lights in the old days were not real fishing floats,
looks like yours were glass made to be lights as well.
Good luck, and thanks again!!
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On 2013-08-02 08:17, tigertail wrote:beautiful work! I will contact you in a couple of weeks, I could use at least two nets made. Thanks!

Thanks!
These large glass globes are getting very hard to find.
And then if you do they are very costly.
Found the perfect blue 12 inch globe yesterday only to find it was $90.00 dollars.
That's no net, no light, just glass.
Kinda high for me to buy, tie and light then try to make some money.

Hate to see any more break, as they are awesome, and rare.
Post more photos your place, looks very cool!

On 2013-08-02 08:17, tigertail wrote:beautiful work! I will contact you in a couple of weeks, I could use at least two nets made. Thanks!

Thanks!
These large glass globes are getting very hard to find.
And then if you do they are very costly.
Found the perfect blue 12 inch globe yesterday only to find it was $90.00 dollars.
That's no net, no light, just glass.
Kinda high for me to buy, tie and light then try to make some money.

Hate to see any more break, as they are awesome, and rare.
Post more photos your place, looks very cool!

The California Seashell Company in Seal Beach has very large netted glass floats for $45. Mine is larger than a basketball and heavy! They had a good selection of colors too. I bought an orangish/red one. Don't go on a weekend the place is a madhouse during the summer. www.caseashells.comHere's a pic I got off of yelp.com

Thanks Lori, Looks like a cool place.
That is a good price.
They also look like thin Mexican glass, really fragile.
But... The hole in the top is the rub.
Those floats look like blown glass, don't know what it is about
blown glass, but when you try to put a hole in it lots of
the time it cracks or breaks outright.(I think It's the small bubbles in the glass that heat and crack)
Plus the Mexican floats are even more thin and crackie.
I have put a hole in a old float with success but it was very slow going.
Have also broke some trying.
This is why I just gave up on putting a hole in real or blown glass floats.
All I need is to sell a light with a small crack in it that splits the light in two
after you heat it up with a light bulb. (Glass is just waiting to break)
I would bet this is why the old tiki joints did not use real floats for these lights.
Just wish I could find a place that makes glass like you see here.
I have looked and looked to no avail.
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¨*.ΈΈ¨*.ΈΈ¨*.ΈΈ¨*.ΈΈ¨*.ΈΈ¨*.ΈΈTIKISKIP "Go to the light"¨*.ΈΈ¨*.ΈΈ¨*.ΈΈ¨*.ΈΈ¨*.ΈΈ¨*.ΈΈ¨*.ΈΈ
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